Matt Bowen Looks at the Real Value of OTAs

Right now we are in the OTA portion of the calendar. Under the new CBA rules (posted after the jump) a team can basically hold four different OTAs from roughly the middle of May to the middle of June. It may not seem like much, but it is a whole lot better than worrying about a courtroom battle like we were this time last year.

Matt Bowen of National Football Post has written an article talking about the value of these OTAs, which he says is the installation of the playbook. That is something important to keep in mind, especially when it comes to the Titans. This time last year they had an entirely new coaching staff without the ability to install their playbook. That meant that training camp time had to be spent on that instead of running through exotic formations and blitz schemes as Bowen mentions in his article.

This coaching staff did a fantastic job last year with a very limited time. We have already heard talk of Jerry Gray not being able to run his defense last season and Chris Palmer's time in the lab. It will be exciting to see what these guys can do when they have adequate time with the players.

(iii) Phase Three. Phase Three shall consist of the next four weeks of the Club's offseason workout program. Subject to the additional rules set forth in Subsec­tions 5(a) and 5(c) of this Article and Appendix G to this Agreement, during Phase Three each Club may conduct a total of ten days of organized team practice activity ("OTAs" or "OTA days"). The restrictions set forth in Subsection 5(b) of this Article shall not apply to OTA days.

The Club may conduct a maximum of three days of OTAs during each of the first two weeks of Phase Three. A maximum of four days of OTAs may be conducted during either the third week or the fourth week of Phase Three, with the Mandatory Veteran Minicamp (Article 22, Section 2) to be held during the other week. During weeks in which the Club conducts only three days of OTAs, the Club may also conduct a fourth day of non-OTA workouts, but such activities shall be subject to the rules governing Phase Two workouts, as set forth in Subsection 2(b)(ii) of this Ar­ticle.

During Phase Three, all coaches shall be allowed on the field. No live contact is permitted. No one-on-one offense vs. defense drills are permitted (i.e., no offensive linemen vs. defensive linemen pass rush or pass protection drills, no wide receivers vs. defensive backs bump-and-run drills, and no one-on-one special teams drills involving both offense and defense are permitted). Special teams drills (e.g., kicking team vs. return team) are permitted, provided no live contact occurs. Team offense vs. team defense drills, including all drills listed in Appendix G to this Agreement, are permitted, provided no live contact occurs. Clubs may require players to wear helmets; no shells are permit­ted during Phase Three of the Club's offseason workout program or any minicamp.